Beqrious » NFChttp://beqrious.com
We follow the trendsMon, 08 Sep 2014 09:08:02 +0000en-UShourly1http://wordpress.org/?v=4.0.1New nio Card Uses NFChttp://beqrious.com/new-nio-card-uses-nfc/
http://beqrious.com/new-nio-card-uses-nfc/#commentsMon, 02 Dec 2013 15:41:56 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4310In the United Kingdom, a new startup company is trying to come up with the first Bitcoin smartcard. Bluenio has started a Kickstarter campaign to help it fund the nio Card. The company’s nio Card has a lot of functions. For one, it uses near-field communication technology to help you transfer Bitcoins. It also acts […]]]>

In the United Kingdom, a new startup company is trying to come up with the first Bitcoin smartcard. Bluenio has started a Kickstarter campaign to help it fund the nio Card.

The company’s nio Card has a lot of functions. For one, it uses near-field communication technology to help you transfer Bitcoins. It also acts as a Bitcoin wallet. But more importantly, it is a security chain that helps you keep your smartphone or wallet safe.

As a Bitcoin transfer tool, the nio Card gives you one tap convenience. It makes it simple and easy to pay with Bitcoins. Bitcoins might be very popular now, but it is quite troublesome to pay with them. Right now, to pay with Bitcoins, you will need to scan a QR code, validate the payment, and then input your private code keys. With nio Card, you just tap and it will provide everything else.

The concept is nothing new. In fact, Android users have already used mobile apps to use their phone’s near-field communication chip to pay with Bitcoins. But not all Android phones have NFC in them. More significantly, Apple’s flagship products, the iPhone and the iPad, also do not have NFC! nio Card is a way to make sure that even those devices without NFC can still be used for easy Bitcoin payments.

There are plans to make the nio Card available for other payment services such as replacing debit and credit cards and even cash. More than that, the company is also thinking of other applications for nio Card. For example, in the future, you can use nio Card for keyless entry to your car or house. You can also use the nio Card to keep track of fitness activities.

If you want to own a nio Card, you will have to wait until March when it comes out. It will also be a little bit on the expensive side, with retail prices pegged at $98.]]>

http://beqrious.com/new-nio-card-uses-nfc/feed/0Avoid These Mobile Wallet Mistakes!http://beqrious.com/avoid-these-mobile-wallet-mistakes/
http://beqrious.com/avoid-these-mobile-wallet-mistakes/#commentsWed, 27 Nov 2013 12:00:42 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4304Mobile wallets are really gaining traction with more and more users over the past few years. And why not as more and more providers are giving more options for people who want to use mobile wallets. Then there is also the support of big companies, from Google and Apple, to telecommunication firms, and right to […]]]>

Mobile wallets are really gaining traction with more and more users over the past few years. And why not as more and more providers are giving more options for people who want to use mobile wallets. Then there is also the support of big companies, from Google and Apple, to telecommunication firms, and right to big banks and financial institutions.

The boom in the mobile wallet industry is also helped by technologies such as QR codes and near-field communication. We have seen how these have helped make mobile wallets very easy to use and very secure. All you have to do is to tap your phone against a near-field communication payment terminal, or scan the business’ QR code and you have already paid for your purchases.

But while QR codes and NFC have helped providers to give you a more secure and easy way to pay, there are still some things that you should remember when using mobile wallets.

1. Do not use a checking account. When you link a mobile wallet to a checking account, it is very difficult of you to keep track of your balance. This means that you might be spending more than you intended.

2. Do not input your information into another person’s device. It would be very easy to forget that you have put your information on another person’s phone and he or she might use it erroneously.

3. Be sure that the merchant is reputable. The beauty of mobile wallets is that you can pay smaller merchants who accept mobile payments. But it might become a security problem if you do not trust the vendor that you are paying. Always remember that they might get information about you and your credit card details when you pay via a mobile wallet.

4. Log out of your mobile wallet. You never leave your wallet open with all the money in it right? Same thing with your mobile wallet application. Be sure to exit the app after paying to make sure that your credit card details are not fished by hackers.
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http://beqrious.com/avoid-these-mobile-wallet-mistakes/feed/0Android and NFChttp://beqrious.com/android-and-nfc/
http://beqrious.com/android-and-nfc/#commentsMon, 21 Oct 2013 15:29:10 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4245It is hard to believe that Android is turning only five years old on October 22, 2013, the same day that rival Apple is holding a special event for their devices. In that five years, Android has came out on top, fully dominating the world of mobile operating systems. Together with rival iOS, Android has […]]]>

It is hard to believe that Android is turning only five years old on October 22, 2013, the same day that rival Apple is holding a special event for their devices.

In that five years, Android has came out on top, fully dominating the world of mobile operating systems. Together with rival iOS, Android has successfully vanquished BlackBerry’s own operating system and put Nokia’s Symbian OS to pasture. Android’s rise has meant the demise of both BlackBerry and Nokia, a feat that did not seem very possible just a decade ago. Nokia and BlackBerry were powerhouses in the mobile phones and devices industry. However, today, Nokia is now under Microsoft after teetering on bankruptcy for the longest time while BlackBerry sold itself to Fairfax Financial Holdings of Canada.

Imagine. From having only one phone at launch to more than half of the smartphones today running on Android. It was an auspicious start too. The T-Mobile G1 was far from perfect but it sold 1 million units.

Soon afterwards, Google just kept on improving. Cupcake was released in 2009 then Donut then Froyo, Gingerbread, and then to current Ice Cream Sandwich announced in 2011 and the current Jelly Bean.

Now, 1.5 million Android devices are added daily.

Admittedly, there is not much about Android that distinguishes it from Apple’s iPhones and iPads. It has a lively developer base that churns out really entertaining and useful apps. Except for near-field communication.

Near-field communication is one of Android’s advantages against Apple’s iOS.

With Apple’s continued snub of NFC technology for its products, Android users continue to enjoy NFC’s capabilities exclusively. The unfortunate thing is that everybody who has an interest in NFC is doing their own thing. This is the reason why NFC seems to be having a hard time taking off. Nobody is helping everybody else. Google Wallet is being blocked by ISIS. Different banks and financial institutions have their own mobile payments services.

For now, mobile payments based on NFC is so fragmented that the use of NFC for payment is rather limited. NFC is slowly taking off with non-payment uses such as data transfer and wireless connections.

Maybe Google needs to come up with a killer app for NFC, to help it gain more foothold into the market. What do you think should Google come up with?]]>

http://beqrious.com/android-and-nfc/feed/0Sprint Launches NFC-Enabled Pinsight Touchhttp://beqrious.com/sprint-launches-nfc-enabled-pinsight-touch/
http://beqrious.com/sprint-launches-nfc-enabled-pinsight-touch/#commentsMon, 07 Oct 2013 12:53:47 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4224Sprint has introduced their new mobile payments platform, Pinsight Touch. Pinsight Touch allows mobile app developers to incorporate a mobile payments system into their apps that uses near-field communication. The new platform would allow users to store their credentials on mobile phones, tablets and mobile devices. A business can then use the platform to offer […]]]>

Sprint has introduced their new mobile payments platform, Pinsight Touch. Pinsight Touch allows mobile app developers to incorporate a mobile payments system into their apps that uses near-field communication.

The new platform would allow users to store their credentials on mobile phones, tablets and mobile devices. A business can then use the platform to offer NFC-enabled services such as mobile payments, keyless access and even pay for their public transit fares. All of these just by tapping their smartphones to another smartphone or an NFC-enabled terminal.

All of these are very secure, owing to the credential management technology coming from Sequent Software. Sequent has technology that allows its systems to secure all credentials and cards within approved mobile devices and apps.

Sprint, which currently has more than 53 million customers, is planning to offer the platform alongside its Pinsight Media+ service, which is geared towards advertisers. Pinsight Media+ helped businesses to delivers targeted ads using the information that Sprint collects about their customers.

The telecommunications company has previously announced a partnership with Telefonica in Europe for a mobile advertising venture. The company is also a well-known supporter of Google Wallet, a mobile payments service developed by the search giant that uses near-field communications.

In fact, Sprint is the only telecommunications company that offers Google Wallet at the moment. All of its major competitors, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, banded together to work on Isis. Isis is also an NFC-based mobile wallet service.

Will Pinsight Touch help the floundering Google Wallet? We think it will. For one, it will make businesses and app developers more aware about the technology. By giving them an easy way to use NFC on the mobile apps, there would be a lot of mobile apps now that would have NFC-related features. Hopefully, customers would take notice and use the NFC payments and features included in these apps.]]>

http://beqrious.com/sprint-launches-nfc-enabled-pinsight-touch/feed/0Best Practice: Educate Your Customers in Using Near-Field Communicationhttp://beqrious.com/best-practice-educate-your-customers-in-using-near-field-communication/
http://beqrious.com/best-practice-educate-your-customers-in-using-near-field-communication/#commentsTue, 01 Oct 2013 12:00:02 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4216Even though Apple has yet again snubbed near-field communication technology on its iPhone, you still have a couple of devices to work with making NFC marketing a viable option. If you are planning an NFC marketing campaign, do not make the mistake that other marketers have committed: educate your customers about NFC. For some marketers, […]]]>

Even though Apple has yet again snubbed near-field communication technology on its iPhone, you still have a couple of devices to work with making NFC marketing a viable option.

If you are planning an NFC marketing campaign, do not make the mistake that other marketers have committed: educate your customers about NFC.

For some marketers, it is enough to put up NFC smart tags and the words “tap here” to their products, marketing posters and business cards. They think that since they know all about NFC other would too.

This is probably the biggest reason why your NFC marketing campaign is doomed to fail. NFC is a relatively new technology. A lot of people may not even have heard about it.

The few who have heard about it may not know too much about NFC. For some they may not even know that their smartphones have a near-field communication chip in it. There are also others who do not how to activate it.

So how do you make sure that your customers are not confused? Include instructions with your NFC tags.

1. Introduce near-field communication. You would need to tell your consumers what NFC is and how it works. More importantly, how they would know if their phones have the chip in it.

2. Show them how it works. Next, you would need to tell your customers how to activate their NFC, and how to use it.

3. Tell them what they can get from you. You are basically asking your customers to do something for you so you have to tell them what they can give back in return. Make sure that you tout the benefits of tapping on your NFC tag, such as getting an exclusive deal, discount or getting more information about your product.

If you have already purchased smart tags that have the simple words tap here, you might need to play a poster explaining what these are for. These posters should be highly available in your store and should include all the information we have outlined here.]]>

http://beqrious.com/best-practice-educate-your-customers-in-using-near-field-communication/feed/0Google Releases New Wallet Apphttp://beqrious.com/google-releases-new-wallet-app/
http://beqrious.com/google-releases-new-wallet-app/#commentsMon, 23 Sep 2013 15:28:46 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4201When Google first came out with its Google Wallet mobile app, it was such that you could only transact using near-field communication. It has since undergone a lot of changes, including moving user information onto the cloud to make it much more secure. Two years after its release, however, Google Wallet is still not living […]]]>

When Google first came out with its Google Wallet mobile app, it was such that you could only transact using near-field communication.

It has since undergone a lot of changes, including moving user information onto the cloud to make it much more secure.

Two years after its release, however, Google Wallet is still not living up to expectations. For one, Google would want more people to use it, but that cannot happen because there are not just that many smartphones that has the NFC chip in it. In fact, NFC has so far been very disappointing and Google Wallet is extremely limited to just a number of handsets. What’s more, merchants are not biting. It would seem that there are only a few businesses that are willing to pay for the hardware costs in order to allow their buyers to pay using Google Wallet.

Google’s first aim was to make you leave your wallet at home and just use your smartphone to pay for everything you buy. Evidently, this is not happening.

What’s more, Google’s rivals are coming out with their own mobile payment versions. This includes Apple’s Passbook service and PayPal.

So what is Google to do? Expand their Wallet service of course, even if it means moving away from NFC.

For the first time ever, Google Wallet is now available on non-NFC enabled handsets. That includes Apple’s iPhones. The tap to pay feature is still there, but it is limited to NFC phones.

But now, you can keep your gift cards and loyalty points on your Google Wallet. What’s more, you can send money to anyone using his or her e-mail address, which is similar to what PayPal does.
vYou can keep track of all of your transactions such as those apps you buy on Google Play or even from stores using Google checkout, including detailed information about your purchases.

You can find nearby retailers who are offering great discounts under the Offers tab, while you can keep loyalty points under the Loyalty tab.

You can also transfer money from your bank account, credit card or debit card into your Google Wallet too.]]>

http://beqrious.com/google-releases-new-wallet-app/feed/0No NFC? And Other Disappointments with the New iPhone 5S and 5Chttp://beqrious.com/no-nfc-and-other-disappointments-with-the-new-iphone-5s-and-5c/
http://beqrious.com/no-nfc-and-other-disappointments-with-the-new-iphone-5s-and-5c/#commentsWed, 18 Sep 2013 12:00:44 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4193After Apple announced the new iPhone 5S and its cheapskate sister iPhone 5C last week, the world has been abuzz. For one, the announcement introduced the world’s first gold iPhone and an alternative for those people who have been dreaming of owning an iPhone but cannot really afford one. However, the new iPhones did come […]]]>

After Apple announced the new iPhone 5S and its cheapskate sister iPhone 5C last week, the world has been abuzz.

For one, the announcement introduced the world’s first gold iPhone and an alternative for those people who have been dreaming of owning an iPhone but cannot really afford one.

However, the new iPhones did come with some disappointments. For one, it did not come with a near-field communication chip. Maybe Apple thinks that the Google Wallet and ISIS is still not good enough to support, or maybe they just want their customers to buy everything from iTunes, but Apple made the decision not to include NFC in this release.

Most of the other features are ho-hum. The most notable of the features introduced in this released is the fingerprint sensor that the new iPhones have. The fingerprint sensors are placed on the phone’s home key. It can help you unlock the phone. If Apple had included NFC into the new phones, that fingerprinting sensor could become an authentication pad and you could finally use your iPhone to buy things securely, or open your car doors without having to use keys. Underneath though, it is still the same iPhone but with a faster processor, suspicious battery life and it is obvious that not a lot of time was spent on innovations. We are not sure if Apple wanted to impress its customers or just wanted another version of the iPhone out because, you know, sales are down.

Further, even the “cheaper” iPhone 5C is still a bit more expensive that some higher end Android phones.

Still, the iPhone still commands respect from its loyal users. In the United States, the news of the new iPhones was warmly met. Halfway around the world, the Chinese are reserving their iPhones like crazy. It is reported that more than 100,000 units have already been reserved online.]]>

http://beqrious.com/no-nfc-and-other-disappointments-with-the-new-iphone-5s-and-5c/feed/0Media Markt Uses QR Codes and NFC for Shopping Wallhttp://beqrious.com/media-markt-uses-qr-codes-and-nfc-for-shopping-wall/
http://beqrious.com/media-markt-uses-qr-codes-and-nfc-for-shopping-wall/#commentsFri, 13 Sep 2013 12:00:36 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4185Media Markt, an electronics seller in Russia, is currently trying out virtual stores that they have put up at a subway station in Moscow. The test run will continue until November. The shopping walls would be using both NFC and QR codes. Moscow Metro’s Vystavochnaya station will have posters that look like shelves found at […]]]>

Media Markt, an electronics seller in Russia, is currently trying out virtual stores that they have put up at a subway station in Moscow.

The test run will continue until November.

The shopping walls would be using both NFC and QR codes. Moscow Metro’s Vystavochnaya station will have posters that look like shelves found at any Media Markt outlet. The products on the shelves will have a price tag that has a near-field communication tag and a QR code.

If a customer is interested in a certain mobile phone or electronic gadget, they will be able to tap their NFC-enable smartphones, or scan the QR code to access the retailer’s Web site. From there, they can learn more about the product, order and pay for it, and have it delivered right to their homes. They could also arrange to pick it up from any Media Markt store they choose.

Sounds familiar?

This is because this concept has been implemented a lot of times before. Tesco in South Korea was the first retailer to do this, converting South Korean subway stations into an extension of their grocery shelves. Buyers can then choose whether they would pick up their groceries from a Tesco outlet or have it delivered right to their doorsteps. Tesco South Korea, however, used only QR codes.

Since then, a lot of similar virtual stores have been turning up all over the world. It is understandable how this concept would be used by different sellers. You really do not need physical space, just a wall. So instead of having a big investment in renting out a space or renovating. Instead, you only pay advertising space that would give you a lot of sales in the long run. Just imagine, you can literally sell dozens of items for every poster you put up.]]>

http://beqrious.com/media-markt-uses-qr-codes-and-nfc-for-shopping-wall/feed/0Why the iPhone 5 loses Out to Samsung Galaxy S4http://beqrious.com/why-the-iphone-5-loses-out-to-samsung-galaxy-s4/
http://beqrious.com/why-the-iphone-5-loses-out-to-samsung-galaxy-s4/#commentsMon, 09 Sep 2013 13:59:35 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4179Apple’s iPhone has a loyal following among consumers in the United States. And why not, it was the first smartphone to really catch our attention and with every new feature that is released in subsequent iPhones, it was difficult to look at anything else and find a smartphone that would compare. Until recently when Samsung […]]]>

Apple’s iPhone has a loyal following among consumers in the United States. And why not, it was the first smartphone to really catch our attention and with every new feature that is released in subsequent iPhones, it was difficult to look at anything else and find a smartphone that would compare.

Until recently when Samsung came out with its Galaxy S4.

Here are some of the reasons why you might be snubbing the iPhone 5 and choose a Galaxy S4 instead:

Near-field communication. Samsung Galaxy S4 comes with NFC, the technology that was developed to handle the next generation of mobile payments that is backed by no less than Google, a host of the biggest financial institutions, payment companies and telecoms. You can just tap your Galaxy S4 and pay for your purchases, share files or play your music on NFC-enabled speakers.

Wi-Fi sharing. S4 allows you to share your photos over Wi-Fi, something that the latest iPhone just cannot do.

Group Cast. Group Cast is a business application that can help you control presentations, documents and files using your S4.

Tilt to Zoom. If you want to take a closer look at something, you only have to tilt it, which is much easier to do than pinching.

Palm Swipe Capture. If you want to take screenshots with your S4, forget about holding down two different buttons at the same time to do it. Instead just put your palm over the screen and the smartphone will take a screenshot for you.

Direct Call. Have you ever started writing a text and midway through, you realized that a text message is not enough for what you are about to say? Well, just hold your phone over your ear and it will automatically dial that person’s number.

Samsung has included several other features that would make it easier to use your S4 over the iPhone such as shaking it to update your apps, merely turning it over to mute an incoming call, putting your palm over the screen to mute any playing music, or the Smart Stay that keeps your backlight always on when you are in places with bright lights.

Do you think it is time to switch?]]>

http://beqrious.com/why-the-iphone-5-loses-out-to-samsung-galaxy-s4/feed/0Check Out These Two Innovative NFC Campaignshttp://beqrious.com/check-out-these-two-innovative-nfc-campaigns/
http://beqrious.com/check-out-these-two-innovative-nfc-campaigns/#commentsWed, 04 Sep 2013 12:00:18 +0000http://beqrious.com/?p=4171When it comes to uses in marketing, near-field communication is still in its infancy. This is especially true if you compare it to QR codes. So far, we have seen NFC being used in outdoor advertising. Bus shelters are being turned into virtual shops with NFC. Marketing posters are taking people to online resources, Web […]]]>

When it comes to uses in marketing, near-field communication is still in its infancy. This is especially true if you compare it to QR codes.

So far, we have seen NFC being used in outdoor advertising. Bus shelters are being turned into virtual shops with NFC. Marketing posters are taking people to online resources, Web sites, videos and other types of content. In short, NFC is being used in the same way QR codes are.

In fact, it is best practice to use NFC along with QR codes. This is a good way to corner more of your target market. Those who do not like scanning QR codes will have the option to tap their NFC-enabled phones. Likewise, those who still do not have NFC on their smartphones will still be able to access your content with QR codes.

For today, we would like to highlight two notable companies that used NFC in a different way. These are Google and McDonald’s.

Passengers at these airports would be able to tap their smartphones against the digital advertising screens and control it. This interactive advertising campaign aims to sell more content to these passengers, such as music, mobile apps and books from Google Play.

When you tap these tables with your NFC-enable smartphone, you can play a game an interactive game on these tables. For example, tapping on one Happy Table allows you to fight bad guys, build burgers and have a race. These interactive games are so much fun that we do not expect Singaporean kids to ever want to leave their tables or even want a play area with plastic balls anymore! McDonald’s say that they plan to do something similar at all their restaurants in the region, but nothing concrete has been announced yet.

These are just two of the more recent examples wherein a company makes use of near-field communication in a novel way. As more and more companies realize the value of NFC and how it could help make their marketing even more interactive, we expect to see many others come up with their own unique way to use NFC.

What about you? Have you heard about cool NFC marketing campaigns lately? Tell us about it in the comments!]]>